A Young Girl's Tragic Death Brings an Important Reminder

She became sick with the flu — and things quickly worsened.

Kiera Driscoll, a 5-year-old girl from Nevada, recently passed away after contracting the flu. According to KVVU her family took her to a walk-in clinic on Monday after she came down with a fever, however, her health worsened and she died on Tuesday. "Life will never the same," Kiera's aunt, Laurel Beckstead told KLAS.

Her mother, Tiffany, told KLAS that Kiera loved "hugs, rainbows, ponies, kittens, princesses, purple, unicorns, and everything magical. You would have never met a happier little girl." Kiera's dad, Patrick said, "Every father thinks their little girl is special, and she was my little girl."

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Kiera had been vaccinated earlier in the flu season for Influenza A, the same flu strain she was ultimately infected with. Her family, who says there were no warning signs before she died, hope that Kiera's story will serve as a reminder to parents to take the time to show their children they love them. "Don't ever lose that moment to take your child in your arms," Beckstead said.

At least 56 children across the US have died from the flu since September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the organization, the 2014 to 2015 seasonal vaccine was effective only 23% of the time due to a mutation in the H3N2 strain of the virus. In past years, the vaccine's effectiveness ranged from 50% to 60%.